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'T. L. O'HIPMAN & s. A. REYNOLDS. I Axle-Nut Wrench. I No. 227,093. Patented May 4,1880.

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p k I UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIQE.

THOMAS L. GHIPMAN, OF MYSTIC, CONNECTICUT, AND STEPHEN A. REY- NOLDS, OF HOPE VALLEY, RHODE ISLAND.

AXLE-NUT WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 227,093, dated May 4, 1880..

Application filed October 9, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS L. GHIPMAN, of Mystic, in the county of New London, State of Connecticut, and STEPHEN A. REYNOLDS, of Hope Valley, in the county of \Vashington and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Axle- Nut Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide a means for removing and replacing a carriageaxle nut simultaneously with the wheel secured by it in position upon the axle, and to so construct and arrange the apparatus that the wheel may serve as a lever in removing and replacing the nut.

Our invention consists in the devices and combinations of devices set forth in the following specification and claims, reference bein g had to the drawings annexed, making part thereof.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved wrench; Fig.2, a sectional View through the nut-socket and adjacent parts; and Fig. 3, a plan view of the nut-socket and stem, showing the notch for a key or 'holdingpin at line 2 z.

The essentials of our apparatus area cross bar bearing a central socket toreceive the nut and two pressure-arms, which pass up by the hub and enter between the spokes, so as to attach'the device temporarily to the wheel.

A is the nut-socket, made of various sizes, or of a size and shape to fit the ordinary axlenut, or formed in two parts to separate diagonally or otherwise, after the manner of a bitstock, so as to be adjustable to nuts of diflerent sizes.

The socket A has a stem, B, which passes through a cross-bar, O, and is provided with a tapering portion, B, flattened or of wedge shape, to enter an elongated recess, 0, of corresponding form, in the front side of the crossbar. A rubber spring, D, is slipped upon the stem B, flanked by washers E, and a thumbscrew, F, permits more or less of pressure to be applied, so as to hold the socket to the cross-bar with an adjustable gripe.

The object of this feature of our invention is to prevent injury to the wheel, nut, or wrench a rigid union of the socket and cross-bar will suffice. shall not interfere with starting the nut off the axle when the wheel is to be removed, we

provide a spring-bolt, Gr, working in a recess, H, on the crossbar, and adapted to engage (when pressed down by the thumb of the operator) with the notch b, formed in the stem B. Such engagement secures the socket immovably to the cross-bar during such time as the bolt G is pressed down against the resistance of the coiled spring J, which will usually be so long only as the operator is loosening the nut preparatory to removing it. When the bolt G is released from pressure it is thrown upward by the spring J, which holds it thus disengaged indefinitely. By this feature of our invention the device may be readily converted from a yielding to a rigid wrench, and vice versa.

At each end of the cross-bar there is an arm, L, one or both being pivoted thereto and adapted to extend along thehub-one on each side thereof-and to enter between the spokes, so as to be held frictionally in position, and to cling to the wheel while it is revolved, holding the nut in the socket A while it is unscrewed, the wheel removed and replaced, and the nut again screwed onto the axle. During these movements the wheel acts as a lever by which the nut is manipulated.

To prevent injury to the wheel we cover the arms L with rubber sleeves M, or some equivalent, a tube of tough paper answering an excellent purpose at a slight expense. A yielding sleeve also facilitates the grasp of the arms upon the spokes. v

The arms are pressed or drawn inwardly by a spring or springs, N, located at any desirable point. Suitable handles 0 are also provided, as at Fig. 1, for handling the implement.

Having thus described our invention, we claim 7 1. The combination of the cross-bar O, bear- In order that this yielding of the parts 1 set forth.

3. The cross-bar and nut-socket adj ustably connected by inclines and spring, in combination with means of rigidly uniting the parts, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 15

T. L. OHIPMAN. STEPHEN A. REYNOLDS.

Witnesses J. G. PERRY, M. T. PERRY.

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